Q: We hired a mason to repoint the mortar between joints in our brick walkway and stairs about two years ago. He did a very sloppy job. We had him come back once, but he wasn't able to improve the ...

Last week, I fielded no fewer than five phone calls from homeowner with the same grim news. They found it nearly impossible to get quotes from contractors to do fairly simple repairs. Each caller’s ...

Q: I’m about to undertake a complex project. I’ve got an older brick home that’s over 100 years old. There are places where the mortar needs attention. The bigger issue is a room addition we’ve got ...